Baják László Ihász István: The Hungarian National Museum History Exhibition Guide 4 - The short century of survival (1900-1990) (Budapest, 2008)

Room 20. The Rise and Fall of Communism (1945-1990). István Ihász

facturers at Videoton, Székesfehérvár's citadel of information technology, and later at the Orion factory in the capital. Already existing free kindergarten, school and health services were complemented by maternity leave and support for parents with large families. From January 1, 1967 working mothers were entitled to a childcare benefit (GYES) until the child reached the age of two-and-a-half years. By the end of the era this social and demographic policy, unique in Europe, had extended to the child's third birthday. As a result of the modernisation programme that commenced in the 1960s and in addition to the growing number of household appliances, there was a spread in the number of family cars, introducing a new traffic culture. Soviet-made Fiat 124s made their appearance alongside the early Wartburgs, Moszkvicses, Skodas and then Trabants. Hungary contributed to the Zsiguli programme with electric fittings and dashboards. In exchange for these and for Ikarus buses we received large quantities of cars, first under the name of Zsiguli and then the Lada make. Those who ordered a car had to wait for years; meanwhile, the national budget could use the prepaid 50% of the retail price interest-free. The free alternate Saturday introduced in 1973, later a free weekly Saturday, corresponded with a rise in the population's income. Due to the cheapness of plots of land, this primarily meant that city dwellers spent their weekends out of town; by 1980 there were